


#22 Into battle, side by side

by 221_french_bee



Series: 30 Days OTP Challenge [8]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Caring Sherlock Holmes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Hurt John Watson, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 21:08:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17454359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/221_french_bee/pseuds/221_french_bee
Summary: Sometimes, John still have nightmares. Sometimes he yells, sometimes he weeps. But Sherlock is always there for him, and always will be, whatever it entail.





	#22 Into battle, side by side

Even years after his return to England, John still has nightmares. Sometimes only sounds, sometimes faces, always the yells and the cries. Always the pain. But nightmares have been less frequent since he moved in 221b and started helping Sherlock in his cases. They almost disappeared since the two of them became a couple and started sharing the same bed every night.  
But some nights, the nightmares still comes. Fill his ears of bullets sound, screams of pain and moans of agony. Those nights, his nose is assaulted by the smell of burned flesh, explosives, body fluids and death. Perspiration tickles his forehead as he twist and turn under the covers, putting his body in a raging fire, even if it's caused by night terrors and not by the blazing sun of Afghanistan.He often yells himself awake, sometime in English, sometime in Dari, an Afghanistan dialect he learned there.

Those nightmares are why he keeps going to the therapist. She can explain his body's reaction, the cause of the nightmares. He talks, and sometime it helps to sort things out, to prevents him to bottle up everything and feel like he is slowly drowning in his own memories.  
But only Sherlock can soothe. John often feels like the detective is the only one to fully understand him. Maybe because Sherlock have his fair share of demons to fight too, when at night his own black times comes, with the faces of the school bullies, the most tragic cases, or the memories of the never ending pain of cocaine days. Sherlock know, deep into his bones, what it's like to be terrified to close his eyes, to let sleep take you to the most frightening places of your mind. So, when dangerous nights appear for John, Sherlock is always there for him.

He responds to him if John needs to feel on his flesh the heat of the kisses, the blunt pressure of their lovemaking, the exquisite pain of his lover's teeth on his throat.

He bathes softly John's trembling body, running the sponge over his face and his neck to wash away the perspiration, the droplets still clinging to his lashes, then carries him to the bed, humming softly.

He walks at his side when John wants to go outside, silent vigilante when John only wants a presence when he look at the London light, reassuring his fears with the air of London in his lungs and the familiar sounds of the city around them.

He puts the kettle on to brew warm cups of tea, or grasp faceted glasses when John is more in an alcohol mood.

He slowly play John's favorite melody at his violin until the doctor fall asleep, curled up in his armchair, tired by his own tears.

And sometimes, Sherlock and John just stay in bed, cuddled against each another, their breaths commingled. Those nights, what the doctor needs is to be hold tight, to be told that Sherlock is there, just there, steady in his arms. And he is not going anywhere, promise, John. Because he is in love with him, all of him, including scars, nocturnal terrors, nightmares and all. Sherlock is going to stay here for how long it takes to make to wash away the memories. They will fight this together; they'll find a way to make it better.  
Sherlock is right there, and it's not going to change, because they are together John, into battle, forever side by side.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all :)  
> Happy new year 2019! Here a text to celebrate.  
> This chapter hasn't been beta-read, so please let me know if I made any mistakes as English is not my first language. And as always, Kudos and review are always appreciated :)


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